Musical Gifts

I love to get music as a gift. Love it. Love CDs or instruments or instrument accessories. This year I got some really special music that was not just your average CD. I got regular stuff, too, like the Jensens gave me the entire Battles catalog. And my dad gave me two essential Neil Young discs I was missing.

But the really special stuff was from my brother.

1. He corresponded personally with my favorite radio host, Bob Boilen to try to get me some All Songs Considered memorabilia for me, a big fan. Bob told Keith that there was no official ASC merch, but he sent a CD of his own music that he'd been working on. It's a CDR of some atmospheric electronic music with cool homemade packaging and a little inscription. Honestly, I'm tickled. What a way to treat your fans. What a great guy!

2. Keith also spent the last few months recording himself, Erin, and my parents singing lullabies as a gift to Lily. It's really great. I love my parents' singing voices and I'm glad Lil' G will always be able to hear their singing voices. Keith also did some really great arrangements on here and did some beautiful instrumental stuff. On it, there's a hymn-type song, a Smashing Pumpkins song, a song that my grandfather sang for a Phillip Moris commercial on the radio as a child, and a James Taylor song, sung by my dad, that is one of my favorites to sing to Lillian. Really special.

Why I Love Project

There are a lot of reality shows out there that are "talent" competitions. Project Runway is not a talent competition, it is an art competition or a creative competition. Project gives us a glimpse into the creative process. How do they do it? What is their inspiration? What was running through their mind?

Don't you wish you could ask that of the creator of your favorite painting, poem, song, book, or photo? Or if a camera was on them while they were dreaming it up?

I wish this would catch on and there would be a musical spin-off or a literary spin-off. What if songwriters were given challenges like: make a commercial jingle for laundry soap, write a love song, write a death metal song, write a power ballad, etc. And instead of rotating models, they would rotate studio musicians that had different skill sets. At the end of each challenge, they would present the recording of their song.

Get me a meeting with a Bravo executive now!

Worst Album Covers of 2007

Pitchfork Media points out the worst album art of 2007.

Pretty funny.

Feeling Old

One of my favorite things to do is read liner notes. You know, those paper things they put inside real-live CD cases. I read them. See who played on them. Who produced the album. Who engineered. Guest musicians? Cameos? It's fun, because you realize stuff about your favorite records that you never knew. Unfortunately, in my case, tonight it was the year that was so surprising. Shocking and appalling, in fact

Conveniently enough for this story, I was pacing my baby to sleep while making this realization. I had her in an earth-momma wrap pacing through the dining room back-and-forth. Grabbing a sip of wine on one end, grabbing a CD at the other end (the office where I have my beshrined CD wall) where I would extract a CD, unsheathe its liner notes, read for a few paces, resheathe, recatalog, and select a new one.

While reading the notes to Mineral's "The Power of Failing", a record that truly changed my life, I realized that it was recorded mostly in the winter of my junior year in Highschool. January 1995. I didn't catch on to this record until 96 or early 97. But man, that's a long time ago. We're talking first girlfriend, driver's tests, community college.

Next, I picked up Starflyer 59's "Best Of" double disc entitled "Easy Come Easy Go". This band is one of my first loves. I think Scott Lehman bought me the cassette tape of "Silver" (their first album) back in the day, but I didn't realized that they were anthologized after 5 records and a slew of EPs with this Greatest Hits record in 2000. That's a long time ago!
(Fun side note: I acquired this record when my old band opened the release party show for this greatest hits album. We traded CDs with the band. A special memory for me that doesn't seem like 7 or 8 years ago.)

But here's what I'm getting at, folks. It's not just the years that have passed that are scaring me, it's what I read in the extensive liner notes in the Starflyer Best-Of album that got me down. A journalist basically wrote a 20 page biography of the band for this one. And in it, frontman Jason Martin is quoted speaking about one of the first records that changed HIS life. He says of The Smith's "The Queen is Dead", "I just could not handle how much I loved that thing."

And that's what got me. I've found records that I love in recent years. But not records that I "couldn't handle" loving. That feeling when you paradigm has shifted and a piece of art makes you feel like the rest of the world could never understand the way you feel. A piece of art like that is cruel and sweet at the same time. I don't have that feeling anymore. And I probably listen to better records now. But I don't feel that way anymore.

And I know I'm not that old, but damn that makes me feel old.

I guess the beautiful side to that is that I get to have that feeling about my wife and my daughter. Learning new things about them, learning about them, loving them makes me feel that way- better even. Writing music makes me feel that way, to an extent. Sometimes work does.

Fittingly, here's the chorus of a Starflyer 59 song called "I Drive A Lot":

"And when I get worked up I think of friends now 35."

Think of me, Jason. I'm getting there.

Sound Opinions

I found a great podcast that's a close second to Bob Boilen's All Songs Considered. It's called Sound Opinions and Chicago Public Radio (a la This American Life) puts it out. It's hosted two famous rock critics: Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Greg Kot wrote the Wilco/Jay Farrar book I blogged about a while ago.

These guys pick apart all types of music and, like All Songs Considered, I don't think you have to be a total music nerd to like it. Well Maybe.

They did a show on Midlake that was great. They did a Best-Of 07 show. They did a "Turkey Shoot" show at Thanksgiving where they picked out 07's worst albums. Great podcast.

New Website is up!

The Winter's Fall website is up!

www.wintersfallmusic.com

Goodbye Autumn

Tis the season for bad music.

I dislike Christmas music. What other time of year could I be inundated everywhere I go with Ann Murray, Kenny Loggins, and Barry Manilow back-to-back? I wouldn't listen to Bing Crosby in July, why would I want to hear him now? These people who recorded those classic Christmas songs were the Britney Spearses of their time. Someday, some December a decade from now, we'll be sitting around the old Yule log roasting chestnuts and thinking how Christmas just wouldn't be the same without that one Josh Grobin song. Sick.

And just so I'm not a total Scrooge, I'm going to plug a really great Christmas album. It's called "Light of the Stable" and it's by the legendary Emmylou Harris. This is an artfully crafted album that even has Neil Young (hot!) singing harmonies on the title track. "Light of the Stable" offers an authentic union of the Nashville-style country of the time (1979), excellent songcraft, and hint of traditional bluegrass..... and I don't mean the cookie-cutter supper-annoying watered-down bluegrass we're getting these days, I mean slow, beautiful songcraft on traditional instruments. Some Christmas classics, some originals, some rare old songs. Like one of my favorites: "Cherry Tree" which is a psychadelic impressionistic interpretation of Joseph and Mary's conversation about fidelity. I remember my parents singing it when I was just a little Gidlund.

So next time you are exposed to a music block consisting of Michael Bolton, James Blunt, and some girl who "almost won American Idol" singing songs about figgy pudding and sleigh rides and you start to shout (right there in the shopping mall), "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!", just go remedy the situation by picking up Emmylou's "Light of the Stable".

nph

Musical History of my House

I recently completed a two-year renovation of my little house. Because I have sort of a sonic mind and a sonic memory, I wanted to document the music that I listened to during distinct periods in the process. When I here these musics, it takes me back to those specific times and I can remember smells, feelings, and weather.....

Moving in Summer 2005

"Twin Cinema" by The New Pornographers had just come out. I remember the feeling of adventure that that record has and that we had at that time.




Demolition of the Front Rooms Fall 2005

I was hooked on Jay Farrar's first solo record, "Sebastopol". Sort of rediscovering it and I was just reeling at how genius it was. A funny coincidence was I was also hooked on the Flaming Lips' "The Soft Bulletin" at the same time. This is a coincidence because the Flaming Lips' keyboardist Steve Drozd (famous for using vintage synths and 70's string machines like the Arp) was enlisted by Jay Farrar to trick out his countryfied sound with crazy Flaming Lips keyboards. Glad he did.

Building Kitchen/Demoing Master Bed/Bath Winter 2005-06
Listened to a lot on Sun Kil Moon's "Tiny Cities" and a lot of Magnolia Electric Company's "Hard to Love a Man" EP. Dark cold days and nights. Making coffee in the bathroom. Stepping on nails with bare feet doesn't hurt when your toes are numb. That sentence I just made pretty much sums up those to records.

Finishing Interior Spring 2006
"Bring it Back" by Mates of State was the hopeful, upbeat kick in the pants we needed to finish the interior. That and the other Mates albums were on constant rotation exclusively per Jill's request.




Fences Summer 2006
During this time, I listened to Ryan Adams and the Cardinals' "Jacksonville City Nights" continuously. It has that golden-age-of-country feel. I could pretty much sing the entire album along with it... and did- loudly and proudly, probably to the surprise of neighbors and passersby who only heard my clunky voice and not what I was hearing in my earphones. There is a lot of pain in those songs and this was when I blew out my hands while making shiplap grooves in each fence board, I couldn't play the guitar and wondered if I would ever play again.

Stripping and Painting the Exterior Winter 2006-07
Townes Van Zandt's "Legend" double disc anthology
Midlake's "The Trials of Van Ocupanther"
This was a lonely time of being outside in the cold on a ladder. Doing stupid stuff like painting in the rain standing on the "Caution! Not a Step!" step of the ladder just to get something done before dark. With my headphones on, of course. These two albums provided a perfect soundtrack and matched the coldness and solitude I felt. Van Zandt's signature singer/songwriter folk is offset by his other-worldy lyrics about things like mythical Viking quests ("Silver Ships of Andilar"), ghostly space cowboys who purchase the souls of young women ("St. John the Gambler"), and building a houseboat in heaven ("Heavenly Houseboat Blues"). Midlake's dreamworld of magic was like a wintery, woodsy dose of musical LSD and I was truly transported (as my faithful readership well knows).

Baby's Room Spring/Summer 2007

I think I was on a Brandon Butler kick. I know I arready blogged about this. I think that, subconsciously I was reaching back into my musical past and I think it had something to do with becoming a father and what that means. Butler's new solo record had just come out and I listened to that and his other solo record and his records fronting the band, Canyon. And his records fronting the band, the Farewell Bend. And his records fronting the band, Boy's Life. Brandon is a musician I've adored since graduating highschool. Rediscovering/reappreciating his entire catalog and full volume was a treat.

Gourd Update II

Nothing much to report here, other than all my gourds are dead. The cold weather and bugs got 'em. I think I planted too late in the season.

I think I'm going to build a small gourden in my side yard- out of three wine barrel halves I have lying around. Probably plant them in May.

In the meantime, I might experiment with purchased gourds- making instruments out of them.

More to come.

Knocked Up!

Loved it.

Of course.... I was sold when I realized the opening music was "Sandusky" by Uncle Tupelo!!!!

Josh Ritter review

"The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter"
My brother and Erin gave me this record for my birthday, and at first I had my reservations. I've heard this guy before. His other records are sort of mediocre acoustic folk. You know, guy-with-a-guitar kinda stuff. I was completely ready to be unimpressed.

Folks, the thing hasn't left my player. This is not the singer/songwriter stuff of his past. This is a band album. These songs are written for a band. Arranged for a band. This is like a country version of Spoon's "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" which I reviewed here a while ago. This is a rock band, not some folkie yokel. There are just some real baddass whole-band parts that make you poise just before the instant where everything comes together- I hope you know that feeling, that hold-your-breath-as-it-HITS feeling. Man, this record is full of those moments.

Ritter also has a handle on lyric writing. Literary types will tell you that half of a good poem is the phrasing- how the words sound together, regardless of their meaning. And this guy really gets that. In "To the Dogs of Whoever", Ritter opens with:
"Deep in the belly of a whale I found her / Down with the deep blue jail around her/ running her hands through the ribs in the dark" The alliteration of down and deep and running and ribs give these lines such a distinct flow.
Also, Ritter gets tuff with:

"All these kids who think they're quick on the draw / I'm busy keeping my Colt cocked" sounds like gangsta rap (from "Mind's Eye")

and

"My orchestra is gigantic / This thing could sink the Titanic / And the string section's screaming like horses in a barn burnin' up" (from "Rumors")

Ritter takes a softer aproach and shows his sense of humor, romance, and imagination in the Elliot Smith-esque "The Temptation of Adam"- a song about two soldiers manning a top secret nuclear missile silo who fall in love. Ritter finds ways to cleverly use words like warhead, half-life, fusion, rations, W.W.I.I.I. to describe love.

I dunno, maybe my favorite album of the year? ..... stay tuned my best of 07 list is coming soon.

NPR

Bob Boilen continues to prove why he's my number one man chrush by adding really exciting sub-groups to his All Songs Considered podcast.

One is called Project Song. And it's a video cast as well as audio. Bob gives a songwriter a picture and a word and they hafta write a song. The creative process is all right there on tape. Bob asks insightful questions as it goes along. The first one is with Stephen Merritt of the Magnetic Fields and if you're a Lemony Snickett fan, you might know this guy. Non-music people would still love this interesting glimpse into the universal process of creating art.

Also, Bob has added an interview component to his Live Concert series. In a fantastic interview with Spoon, Bob and Brit Daniel talk about what it means to be "obsessed" with music. I was ecstatic to hear two people talk so.... right on about how I feel about music. There's a New Pornographers concert I'm in the middle of right now and I can't wait to get to the interview part.

Charlie the Magical Unicorn

A lot of my students have been quoting/mimicking this lately (like they used to with Napoleon Dynamite).

Roland JP8000

The New Pornographers

OK, let's get back to the music here.

Though we got this record like a month ago, it took a while to really sink in. So here it goes- a review (or quick overview) of the New Pornographers' record entitled, "Challengers".
....and (LISTEN TO IT HERE) There are also videos below.

First of all, I have to explain that the name comes from a Jimmy Swaggart quote in which he proclaimed that Rock n Roll was the "new pornography". So the band's name is clever and harmless, so cool your jets.

Besides that, they are a Canadian supergroup that contains 4 different vocalists (2 males, 2 females) who trade of on each song or sometimes trade off during songs. Dan Behar from Destroyer, Carl Newman from Zumpano, and Neko Case- a solo country chanteuse. Plus a swarm of instrumentalists. They play a super energetic brand of thick, fun powerpop.

On this record, they've definately reached a more mature plateau. At first, I missinterpretted the plateau as a rut, but then realized that they've intentionally pulled back some of the over-the-top high-energy stuff to let real songwriting come out. This especially happens in the girls' power ballad-esque tracks, which are beautiful and well-crafted. (See the bottom video for what I mean)

Great album.

20 years of Baby Jessica

Painting entitled, "The Rescue of Baby Jessica"

Artist unknown

KRANG

Classic

10 Things I've Learned From FNL

Here are some life lessons I've learned from watching Friday Night Lights:

1. No matter how badly you are losing, you can always come back to win in the last 30 seconds of the game.... every time.

2. Whenever you have a conflict with someone, no matter what the nature of your relationship is, you should always tell them, "I love you more than anything on this earth."

3. The Car Salesman is essential to the decision-making power structure of any town.

4. It's perfectly normal to go a whole day without knowing that your Abercrombie flannel has been unbuttoned and falling completely off one shoulder.

5. Arguing with your spouse can be fun if you make it sound a little flirty.

6. Kids can successfully raise themselves, run a household, and sometimes care for incapacitated adults without any assistance.

7. If you need a job badly enough, someone will always hire you (regardless of the lack of demand for the job or your lack of qualifications for the job) at the local highschool or car lot.

8. Football games are only 5 minutes long and action-packed.

9. In Texas your hair can stay wet for 24 hours at a time, if you really want it to.

10. I'm mysteriously craving.... Applebees.

The Corner

Two of my favorite things combined..... but falls short.
The creator of my favorite TV show, The Wire (David Simon), and the actor from one of my favorite movies, FRESH (Sean Nelson) , joined forces in 2000 for this Emmy winning HBO miniseries called The Corner. We Netflixed it because of our love for the Wire and Fresh, but it was just super depressing and poorly acted. Actors you'll recognize from The Wire play characters that are surprisingly out of character. Hours and hours of watching junkies flounder without much plot. The miniseries starts off like it's trying to look like a documentary, but then incorporates so many camera angles that it's hardly believable. Jill and I stopped after a couple episodes.
Sooooooo..... This leads me to recommend FRESH to fans of The Wire. Fresh is about an 11/12-year-old drug runner who is too smart for his own good and tries to out-smart his way out of New York drug life. This movie was supposed to be the first "ghetto movie" in the 90's (and had a hyper-realism feel like The Wire), but on the eave of its release, Boys n the Hood and Menace to Society were released by other studios and served as more high-action/violent and more popular movies. But Fresh is, by far, more better. The best thing about Fresh is the kids in it use real urban kid language and it's so real. The dialog is so real. Fans of The Wire will also appreciate a familiar feeling of having to remember names, faces, alliances, and street vocabulary. Plus, you'll love the character Fresh- that's the kids name.

Band of Horses on Letterman

Band of Horses

If I had any hipster music snob friends left, I would brag about how I got the new Band of Horses album, "Cease to Begin" a day before its official release date. But I would leave out the part about buying it on 4th St.

Man, this record is great. And this band is proving themselves to be great. Seems like shooting yourself in the foot to sort of keep the whole old-school emo thing (circa 1997) as part of you format, but Band of Horses does this well by mixing that sound with a countryfied Neil Youngish sound and Built to Spill-esque drumming and vocal yelps. Shoot, the intro to one song sounds Identical to Tristeza (circa 98). Appleseed Cast meets Uncle Tupelo or something. Brilliant!

Lyrically, frontman Bidwell shines here. On the opening track there are only 3 lines but they poetically mess with your head. The song evolves like a poem cannot, due to the fact that you cannot physically see the next line comming. Each line, when layered, gives new meaning. He starts off saying "I could sleep I could sleep I could sleep" which makes the listener think he's sleepy, tired, a visceral cry of fatigue. Then he continues, "when I lived alone." which makes one wonder if this is sexual or the opposite- like fighting with a domestic partner or something or that he prefers to live alone. But both of these meanings are squashed when he finishes the thought with "Is there a ghost in my house?" Then you realize he's just talking about being haunted!

I could sleep when I lived alone. Is there a ghost in my house?
Genius.

Intense hard rockers. Beautiful, lush slow country jams. Will make my best of 07 list.

Lightning DOES Strike Twice!

Prepare yourself for PURE GENIUS as you click on this link.
The master does it again!

READY.......GO!

Midlkake Report

"Give me a day full of honest work
And a roof that never leaks.
I'll be satisfied."

Great show. A band of multi-instrumentalists. Nicely honed set. Beautiful and polished. I heard that these guys fall apart live (like sloppy or something), but I experienced the opposite. My only complaint is that maybe it was TOO perfect. They looked like they were at work. Like musicians in the pit, doing they're job. But hey, it's beautiful music. Beautiful songs that put me into a dreamworld.

The best part is, they had some cool 1.5" pins that were probably home-made. Xeroxed so each one is slightly different and on different color paper and such. I bought three (each with a different design) because that's what I do.

Midlake tonight!!!

Pretty excited about seeing Midlake tonight. I think they made they best record of 2006 and I'm anticipating a great live set. And I'm gonna be super disappointed if they don't have any good merch like buttons and stickers and rare EPs, rather than just expensive Tshirts.

Battles

Check this out. I'm not even sure if I like it, but it's super interesting and innovative. Undeniably.



This is like a math rock supergroup. Don Caballero. Helmet. Etc.
It almost sounds like that song they put on during a football game, but then not.
And they can pull it off live.

Must have Son Volt in every 5th Post...

Feist w/ Mates of State in the Background

Bike Rides with Bob

9/13/07

Dearest Bob,

I wanted you to know that I've missed our bike rides together. When my bike broke down in June I knew we'd be spending some time appart. But now that I'm back at work and my bike is repaired, we've been able to spend our mornings and afternoons catching up. Your thoughts on music are so insightful and honest- like when you made that comment about not really being impressed with the new Rilo Kiley album- I thought that was really bold. And I've always felt they were overrated and faddish. I know that I've got some catching up to do with Ira, but for now I'm really enjoying hearing about what you've been up to this summer.

Your buddy,
Pete

WWKFD?

What Would K-Fed Do?

Gourd Update

Here are a couple of my gourd plants. I think both are bilobal bottle gourds. One is just sprouting (L). The two in the other picture are climbing up Jill's sunflowers (R).










Below is a picture of a newly sprouting "Job's Tears" plant, which is an ornamental grass that yields gourd-like seeds often used to make rosaries. They are commonly refered to as nature's beads because they cure themselves and hollow themselves out (with a hole at either end). I'm raising the Job's Tears to bead my Shekeres with.

Imagine

I watched a John Lennon documentary last night that was heavy on his solo career, which (in my opinion) sucked. The doc was OK. But I was thinking- the best John Lennon solo record that John Lennon never made is "Let it Come Down" by James Iha.

What a gem. That record changed my world. Sounds like John Lennon solo, only good. The song, "Lover, Lover" sounds like "Imagine" without the nihilism. Check it out. Great record.

If you build it, they will come.

Nothing Feels Good

Seems crazy, but 2007 marks the 10th anniversary of one of the BEST RECORDS EVER MADE.

"Nothing Feels Good" by the Promise Ring, 1997

Feels like yesterday. This record blew my mind and was extremely formative as a creative person and just as a human also. I remember reading about it in some straightedge zines and indierock zines (in print) that a friend gave me. And I bought the CD and I gobbled it up. Paul even had the limmited edition red vinyl version. I don't know that I had a friend in the late 90s who didn't own this record. It was special to us. I was 19 years old and we were indestructable and totally fragile at once.

Still a great record today. Was blasting it on my way to work when I realized it has been 10 years and I felt old.

"Spent afternoons

Spent afternoons
Measuring time in spoons."

Beep- Beep!

Hello Goodbye

Also, Son Volt's version of the Beatles'es "Hello Goodbye" is up on iTunes now.
Sounds great! They did it for a Bend it Like Beckham commercial.
Like a little Son Volt snack!

DON'T MAKE ME A TARGIT ! (spoon review)

Several friends have exposed me to SPOON lately. Their new record just dropped and it's all over the trade rags. People love this band and they've been around forever. So I thought I'd pick it up- see what the fuss was about.

I ended up really enjoying "GaGaGaGaGa", Spoon's 5th full-length release.

Jill and I tried for a long while to come up with the category Spoon would fit into. Not that Spoon is super original or breaking any new ground here..... it's just fun American indie rock. That's all we could come up with.

But here's the main quality that makes Spoon stand out- If they've got one thing, it's this: Frontman Britt Daniel just says words cool. That's it. He says words in such a cool way, nothing else matters. He says "evah". He says "Targit". Bottom line is that you get taken with the way he says words. Forget everything else.

There are 3 real hits on the album: "Underdog" "You Got Yr.Cherry Bomb" and "Don't Make Me a Target" that are worth the price of the album by themselves. Or great iTunes single-purchases. They would be all over the radio if Coke or Clearchannel or McDonalds didn't own everyone's souls.

The rest of the tracks are still super fun. It's just that Daniel rarely puts a lyrical hook with a melodic hook. In other words, a tune might be catchy, but the words aren't. Or the words are catchy, but the tune doesn't get stuck in your head and sounds awkward. Take "Don't You Evah", for example. It's full of melodic hooks, but what the heck is he saying? We hear what he's saying, but it's just that he chose to say something specific for art's sake rather than just coming up with something sweet and stupid for me to easily digest. And while, usually, I like that approach, I don't think it works here. I walk around humming the melody to the lines "Petals getting picked by the love-yous and the love-you-nots" and "Five years going by everyone is still on their side" but I never sing the words, because they're awkward and forgettable.

Don't get me wrong. Love the album. Especially the 3 songs mentioned above. It was the smash of the summer. And check out the vid(s) below.

Here's the smash hit, "THE UNDERDOG"!



Oh, and you might recognize this from that car commercial:

MEE-MEEP!

The Best Show on TV!

I call do-overs on my last post called "Best Show on TV". Because, actually, The Singing Bee is the best show on TV. It's got everything that's great about American TV (the whole classic gameshow vibe) and, at the same time, cleverly pokes fun at everything wrong w/ TV (extravegance, excess, the illusion of instant stardom).

Nobody gets a million dollars. Nobody has to "lock in" their "final answer". America doesn't "vote". And there is no ominous lighting or intense mood music. Just good fun.

It had Jill and I laughing uncontrolably, yelling "Hey! That's not fair!", and singing along to Tiffany's "I Think We're Alone Now" all in the same 30 minutes.

Can't wait to Netflix season 1 !

Your top 5 albums?

OK, so me, Jill, and LoRizzle were talking last night about our picks for top 5 favorite albums and I thought that would be an interesting post.

Mine are (in no particular order):
"Trace" by Son Volt
"Rust Never Sleeps" by Neil Young and Crazy Horse
"The Aeroplane Over the Sea" by Neutral Milk Hotel
One of the Starflyer59 albums- probably "Americana" (a.k.a. the red album)
"Graceland" by Paul Simon

So.... What are your top 5?
Please comment.....

note: Keep in mind, this is not the famous "5 albums you would take on a desert island" scenario, because usually, for that, people don't pick their faves, they pick stuff they wouldn't get sick of. This is strictly your favorites.

Best show on TV.

THE WIRE is definately the best show on TV. I've never been sucked into a show the way I have with the Wire. Jill and I tore through the first season, since I've been off summer school and with as much time as we spent glued to it, I didn't come away feeling like I was "sitting around watching TV". Props to Bora for the recommendation

Favorite Character: Omar. How can someone be so scary and so loveable at once?

Laughed: Whenever Bubbles said "McNutty". (click here for a funny pic of Mc Nulty)

Music: Eclectic and informed. Steve Earle even plays Waylon, Bubbles'es N.A. mentor.

Favorite scene: When Omar aquire's all of Barksdale's stash by simply walking through the courtyard saying, "Eh-yo. Eh-yo."

My Gourden

A gourden is what weird gourd crafter people call a garden full of gourds. Yes, I've become one of those weirdos.

It all started with a rattle, called a shekere, that I salvaged and repaired. I love this rattle and use it for lots of different types of music. I decided, since my house is officially "done", that I needed a thing. And I got really into the idea of making percussion instruments from gourds.I've since done a lot of gourd research. I also went a little overboard and planted about 20+ gourd seeds around our property. Some in our vegatable garden, some in Jill's cutting garden, and some in different flower beds in the front. Some are bilobal bottle gourds, some are short-neck dippers, some are birdhouse gourds, and some are corsican flats. I'm not going to make a birdhouse with the birdhouse gourds, but I'm hoping to use them to make the body of a stringed instrument. I plan to make shekeres from the bottle gourds. And djabarras and shakers with the dippers.

I plan to blog about my progress as time goes on, but for now, they're aren't even flowers on the plants.